Man on parental leave was moved to the most junior sales role
He was the only senior seller moved down and the only seller taking parental leave. Sweden’s Equality Ombudsman said the employer’s explanation was not enough.
He was the only senior seller moved to the most junior role, and the only seller who had taken parental leave. The employer said those two facts were unrelated.
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The man had worked as a salesperson since autumn 2023 and began half-time parental leave in September 2024. During a reorganisation in early 2025, he lost the company’s most senior sales role. The Equality Ombudsman said he was the only senior seller moved down and concluded that the employer’s explanation did not break the apparent connection to his leave.
The employer denied unlawful treatment. DO sought SEK 135,000 in compensation and filed suit in May 2025. The parties settled on 16 June 2026, so there was no court ruling on liability and the settlement does not establish an admission.
Sweden’s parental leave law bars employers from disadvantaging a worker because of leave in promotion, pay, work allocation or dismissal. If the facts give reason to presume a connection, the employer must show that none existed or that the treatment was a necessary consequence of the leave.
That makes the case useful beyond one workplace. A reorganisation does not erase the protection. When the only person taking parental leave is also the only senior employee pushed into the junior role, the employer needs an explanation strong enough to survive scrutiny.
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